Researching helpful tips and strategies for expanding one’s professional network via LinkedIn was insightful. I created a LinkedIn profile for an assignment years ago, so I was not exactly up-to-date on certain practices that are used among professionals. I used to assume that LinkedIn was just another social media platform, so I was surprised that messages including personal connection and recommendation requests involved formality. I believe the practices my team and I have researched will be helpful once I try making a LinkedIn profile again.
Brainstorming a topic for the formal report was quite difficult. Because I am taking this course in my home country, I could not think of a topic that is related to UBC, Vancouver, or a certain workplace. I chose to write a formal report about the public bike rental service in Seoul because despite being a widely-used service, I have heard consistent complaints regarding the app among non-Korean speakers and foreigners. Thus, writing the proposal and outline was relatively straightforward. I am still somewhat concerned about the analysis part of the formal report – as per the feedback, I am considering constructing a survey rather than doing in-depth interviews to produce better data and visuals. Since the formal report must be submitted in less than a month, I should keep in mind to follow the tentative writing schedule.
Similar to the peer review process from unit one, exchanging feedback with my writing team peers was extremely helpful. Samantha’s proposal was extremely well-written and detailed. The peer review I wrote in the first unit mostly focused on the suggestions, so this time I included more detailed comments on the overall document. From the peer review on my proposal, I learned that I need to continue practicing writing more clearly and concisely. I tend to write long sentences, which is not so efficient in technical communication. I will try to remember this the next time I write something that is intended for a similar audience.